Team:CIDEB-UANL Mexico/HumanPractices/JuniorHS

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Team: UANL_Mty-Mexico

Team: CIDEB-UANL Mexico

HP: Junior High School Visits
Monday 03/19/2012

The HP team rehearsed the presentation that was made to expose the topic of synthetic biology for junior high students. We tried to imagine that we were junior high students that were receiving a lesson related with Synthetic biology without knowing a lot about the topic.

We also use this day to practice two different experiments, and according to the results decide which one was better and easier for the students to understand. The purpose of this is to show that even something simple like a common daily life object which they are in contact all the time, like a banana or a spittle, can be used in a DNA extraction. We decided that the extraction of DNA from a banana was a better experiment for the students, so they can get in touch with DNA and familiarized more with their looks appreciateand get a better comprehension of where DNA is located. Also how all the genetic information is stored in cells. We took the time that take us to finish the presentation with the experiment, which was an interval from 30 to 40 minutes. That was very useful information for us and we used it to ask for permission in the different schools.

Tuesday 03/20/2012

This was the first Human Practices action day. We went to two junior highs. Three of the five members of the Human Practices team assisted to the appointments that we had with Junior High #37: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, located in the city of Escobedo, Nuevo León; and Junior High #7, located in the city of San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León. The Junior high #7 was the first one in which we give the talk. The group was over 70 people, formed by all the students of two classes of 9th grade. We think that the rate of interest was affected because the information was only given theoretically. They demonstrated curiosity and some of them were really amazed, but most of them were very excited for going out because a part of their lunch time was taken. They showed a sort of knowledge about the risks of being in the laboratory and how you can avoid them. In this part of the presentation were really related with the topic. The professors of this junior high asked to us for the laboratory report of DNA extraction, so they could make this experiment later.

In Junior High #37 the group was about 65 people and, in contrast to the previous one, we permormed elaborated the experiment of the banana DNA extraction. The students were extremely amazed and they were much more relaxed and happy. They had just come back from their recess so I think that was a very influential factor. The students showed a very good comprehension of the topic: they understood what a gene and DNA are and learned how to explain them. A professor was so excited that he took us a lot of pictures and a complete video of our visit. They asked us to come back and talk to the rest of the groups, but we told them that first we have to go and comply with other junior highs that asked us to go.

In Junior High #37 the group was about 65 people and different from the previous one, here we elaborated the banana DNA extraction, and the students were extremely amazed and they were much more relaxed and happy. They were coming back from their recess so, I think that was a very influential factor. The stdents showed a very good comprehension of the topic, they understood what a gene and DNA is and learned how to explain them. A professor was so excited that he took us a lot of pictures and a complete video of our visit. They asked us to come back and talk to the rest of the groups, but first we have to go and comply with other junior highs that asked us to go.

Wednesday 03/21/2012

We atended to Junior High #30 Profesor Rogelio de León Garza, located in San Nicolas city and the stdents at the beginning of the practice were a little bouncy and very excited about the practice we made, that was the same of banana DNA extraction but most of the 4 groups showed a lot of attention and even though they were a lot of students it was a very good time. We talked about some movies where the synthetic biology was present and how they could apply it, and that mutations and stuff like that were myths.

Thursday 03/22/2012

Marcela, Gisela, Yves and I went to a school located in the city of Guadalupe, Nuevo León, named Instituto San Diego, and in this visit we talked to a smaller group of about 28 students. They all were very participative and showed a little bit of more knowledge than the other schools we have visited. During the practice of the banana DNA extraction they saw how we applied the instructions of security and safety in lab wearing the Lab coat, gloves, the hair fastened and taking care of not being wearing any jewelry. We also worked in team, Marcela and I showed a great team support and we emphasize it for they to know that a team work in Lab and in life is a very important tool. We explained them how a cell worked and the basic concepts of synthetic biology, plus a variety of great examples that they could easily identify.
After the practice some of the students came to me and started to ask me about iGEM and how they could participate, I explained them a little bit of the contest and they mentioned their interest for being in the CIDEB team.
At the end they said us good bye with loud applause.